Marking device for use in paper-sheet piling or stacking machines.



G. SPIESS.

MARKING DEVICE FOR USE IN PAPER SHEET PILING 0R STACKfNG MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 9. 1914.

1,186,141 Patented June 6, 1916.

Fig.1.

fweni'or;

Georg Spiess,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORG SPIESS, 0F L-EIPZIG-BEUDNITZ, GERMANY.

MARKING DEVICE FOR USE IN PAPER-SHEET FILING OR STACKING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application filed September 9, 1914. Serial No. 850,926.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnone Srmss, a subject of the Emperorof Germany, residing in Leipzig-Reudnitz, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marking Devices for use in Paper- Sheet Piling or Stacking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to paper sheet sorting, stacking and piling machines of the kind in which the sheets are counted and marked off as they are stacked in delivery, by means of a counting device of the ratchet type actuated by the individual sheets as they pass to the stacking mechanism and cooperating with a device adapted to mark off the individual piles, for example, by the insertion between them of paper strips or like marks.

The invention consists in certain constructional improvements in the counting and mark inserting mechanism and in the particular combination of the parts here inafter more fully described whereby the construction of such machines is greatly simplified and generally rendered more reliable and efficient.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a front View of the arrangement according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a lateral view of the mark inserting and cutting device, and Fig. 3 shows the ratchet arrangement on an enlarged scale.

The arrow A indicates the direction in which the sheets travel from the machine. In its passage to the piling device, each sheet travels over a spring arm 1 which it depresses in a known manner. In this action a second arm 2 on the arm 1 depresses a lever 3 which is yieldingly supported and rotatably journaled in a rocking arm 5 so that the end of the lever 3 is pressed into the path of a cam disk 4: which is mounted on the driving shaft. As soon as the cam acts on the end of the lever 3 the latter together with the rocking arm 5 is forced forward. -A connecting rod 6 attached to the rocker 5 and having its other end attached to a bell crank lever 7 transmits this movement to a rod 8 which actuates the sheet counting mechanism. To this end the rod 8 carries a collar 10 which in the upward movement of the rod 8 operates the pawl 11 which actuates the ratchet wheel 14 of the counting device. This wheel is loose on an axis rotatable on which is also the pawl carrylng arm 12. By each movement of the rod 8 under the influence of a passing sheet the ratchet wheel 14 is rotated to the extent of a tooth after which the pawl and the whole rod gear referred to return to the mlt al position while the ratchet 14 is held against backward rotation by a counterpawl or dog 17.

Side by side with the ratchet wheel Ll but fast on the shaft 13 is a ratchet wheel 15 having a slightly smaller diameter than the ratchet 14. One tooth space in the ratchet wheel 14 is of such depth as to cause the pawl 11 simultaneously to engage both ratchet wheels, the arrangement being such that for each complete revolution of the ratchet wheel 14, the ratchet wheel 15 is advanced to the extent of one tooth, in which position it is held by a locking dog 16. ,The ratchet 15 is provided concentrically with a slot 18 adapted to receive a coupling pin 18 projecting from a radial arm 19 which is loosely rotatable on the shaft 13. The arm 19, moreover, is of such length as to'be capable of forcing back the locking dog 16 and thereby to release the ratchet wheel 15 when the desired number of sheets has been fed to the pile. To this end the slot 18 may, for example, have one of its edges appropriately graduated and be fitted with a sliding piece or indicator (not shown) adapted to be set within the slot to any desired division according to the desired number of sheets to be fed to the pile. This sliding piece is destined to engage the end of the arm 19 every time the ratchet wheel 15 is restored to its initial position in which movement (in clockwise direction in Fig. 3) the indicator slide by bearing on the arm 19 causes the latter likewise to be moved back to its starting point. From this position the arm 19 is not moved (in Fig. 3 in counter-clockwise direction) as the ratchet 15 is moved step by step by the ratchet pawl 11 until the pin 18 on the arm 19 is engaged by the left hand end of the slot 18. As soon as this engagement occurs the ratchet 15 during the final step of its counting movement forces the end of the arm 19 on to the cam face of the dog 16 by the displacement of which it is freed to the infiuence of a traction spring 2 1 acting on a pulling medium such as a steel band 22 circumferentially wound on a disk 21 which is secured on the shaft 13.

As shown the steel band 22 and the spring 24: are connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 20 adapted to actuate the mark inserting device. The other end of this lever is attached to a connecting rod 23. The latter operates a rocking arm 25 adapted to oscillate about the axis of a ratchet wheel 26 and provided with a spring-actuated pawl 25. A toothed gear is used. to transmit this partial movement to a delivery roll 27 for inserting the marking strip 28, a rubber roll 30 bearing against the circumference of the roll 27. The marking strip 28 forms part of a web which is unwound from a reserve roll- 29. When the end of the paper strip 28 has been placed upon the uppermost sheet of the counter pile it remains in position until the requisite number of sheets forming a new pile is stacked over it after which it is severed from the web by an appropriate cutter. It will be seen that as the ratchet wheels l t and 15 are advanced the steel band 22 is wound on the drum 21 thereby causing the rod 23 gradually to be pulled up. A spring pawl 31 pivoted. to the rod 23 is arranged as shown in Fig. l to extend in the path of a roller 32 arranged on a lever 33 which carries a cutter 34. As soon as the requisite number of sheets has been counted by the ratchet 15 in the end position of the latter above referred to the cut ter 34 will be caused to sever the marking strip from the web 28. In the sudden return movement of the rod 23 the spring pawl 31 moves glidingly past the roller 32 onthe cutting lever.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a sheet piling or stacking machine comprising mechanism for automatically inserting marking strips between counted numbers of sheets in a pile under the influence of a sheet counting apparatus controlled by a sheet detector the connection of the sheet counting apparatus with the strip inserting and cutting mechanism by a lever gear through the agency of a flexible cable adapted to operate the lever gear in one direction by the winding pull exerted. thereon by the counting apparatus and in the opposite direction by a traction spring which also restores the counting apparatus to initial position ready for actuation in the counting sense by a ratchet pawl operated by a rod gear controlled by'a spring member from the sheet detector, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORG SPIESS.

Witnesses:

RUDOLPH FnIoKE, ALICE Duncan.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner Patents.

Washington, D. C." 

